According to provisional data from Destatis, turnover in retail trade in January 2020 was in real terms 1.8% and in nominal terms 3.0% larger than in January 2019. The number of days open for sale was 26 in January 2020 and in January 2019. Economists had expected a 1.5% increase in real terms.

The retail trade of food, beverages and tobacco in January 2020 was 1.0% real and 3.2% more nominal than in January 2019. Sales at supermarkets, hypermarkets and hypermarkets were 0.9% higher in real terms and 2.9% higher in nominal terms than in the same month of the previous year. In the corresponding comparison, specialist food retailing increased by 2.1% in real terms and 5.1% in nominal terms.

Non-food retail sales in January 2020 increased by 2.2% in real terms and 2.8% in nominal terms compared to the same month of the previous year. The Internet and mail order business achieved the largest increase in sales with 6.3% in real terms and 6.4% in nominal terms.

When adjusted for calendar and seasonal variations, the January 2020 turnover was in real terms 0.9% and in nominal terms 1.2% higher than in December 2019.